Danielle gets great joy out of mocking my love of all things new and blue. Sports drinks, candy, shampoo, candles--it doesn't matter. No matter how little the chance the product has of being successful, all the designers need to do is slap some neon blue on the packaging, maybe even back it with a little black, and it's only a matter of time before I buy it. Here's a sample of a conversation we've had many times before:
Me: Danielle, I picked up a new body wash when I went to CVS today.
Danielle: Oh, nice. What is it?
Me: ManScrub. Locker Room scent. It smells so good.
Danielle: Oh! And what a surprise! It's--blue!
Me: Is it? Wow, I didn't even notice that.
Danielle: *laughing* Sure you didn't.
So it was with a certain amount of validation that I read this article today, which I found on CNN. Here's the lead:
The same blue food dye found in M&Ms and Gatorade could be used to reduce damage caused by spine injuries, offering a better chance of recovery, according to new research.
I knew there was something to blue!
The article is actually pretty interesting--it goes on to explain how this is research piggy-backing on older research:
In August 2004, scientists revealed how Adenosine triphosphate, which is known as ATP and described as the "energy currency of life," surges to the spinal cord soon after injury occurs.
Researchers found that the sudden influx of ATP killed off healthy cells, making the initial injury far worse. But when they injected oxidized ATP into the injury, it was found to block the effect of ATP, allowing the injured rats to recover and walk again.
Of course, this proved to be problematic for two reasons--first, sticking a needle into a spinal cord didn't seem like a viable option, and second, injecting oxidized ATP into a human's bloodstream is too dangerous anyway.
What that team also discovered at the time was that:
...the spinal cord was rich in a molecule called P2X7, which is also known as "the death receptor" for its ability to allow ATP to latch onto motor neurons and send the signals which eventually kill them.
Nedergaard knew that BBG could thwart the function of P2X7, and its similarity to a blue food dye approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1982 gave her the confidence to test it intravenously.
And that's where that little blue guy pictured up above comes in. After receiving BBG, the rats can walk--with a limp--again. And the article points out that while this doesn't mean we'll be able to totally cure all spinal injuries, it certainly bodes well for the future in terms of small improvements, which can mean the world to many patients. Nedergaard says:
"Even a moderate improvement in functional performance of the patient is a big, big event for these patients...They can control their bladder. If they can just take small steps instead of sitting in a wheelchair all the time, it's a tremendous benefit for these patients."
So for all the guys out there who find themselves gravitating towards that new flavor of gum or deodorant scent, don't feel bad.
You're not playing right into the marketers hands.
You're helping to support spinal cord injury research.
More soon.
JS
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